sustain on 7dbk

GonWild · #1 11-15-2002, 08:31 AM

hey. is it just me, or have other jem(7dbk) owners had problems with poor sustain in their guitars? ...of course, I may be spoiled with using my les paul that sustains a lot... but still. When I strike an harmonic at the 5th fret, bend the whammy around a bit, the tone fades away quite quickly. Is there a way to adjust the pickup hight, to optimise this? What other reasons are there for having poor sustain?

Globbits · #2 11-15-2002, 08:52 AM

Its to be expected with a trem and less wood than on your LP. Even a Lo-Pro edge takes away some of the sustain.

jsdetrait · #3 11-15-2002, 09:12 AM

Hello,
EirikHH, do you mean that your guitar has a poor sustain unpluged* or when you play it with an amp???
If she has a "normal" sustain (= not to short) naturaly*, then the problem comes from your amp. If not I don't know what it could be... I've got a 77 fp and she has sustain for days (ok, for secondes)
Tell us...

See ya
JS

GonWild · #4 11-15-2002, 09:19 AM

jesdetrait>both, actually..I'm sure it's not the amp. it helps when I apply some heavy compressor. I have to to that to get through the harmony solo on "Frank". I also use 0.95 strings. The thicker strings, the more sustain...but im afraid that if i go up, it'll mess up my trem..

PerpetualBurn · #5 11-15-2002, 10:20 AM

Hmm, ive had a jem setup with 11s....its no problem, doesnt mess the trem if you compensate for it properly.

I agree tho, the sustain on my les paul kicks the crap outa my Ibanez's
But then, not much can match the sustain of a guitar with that kinda construction.

Rob

GonWild · #6 11-15-2002, 11:17 AM

how exactly did you compensate for that? replace the springs?or increase the tention in some way??

dex · #7 11-15-2002, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EirikHH

What other reasons are there for having poor sustain?

bolt-on neck as oposite to set neck or tru-neck
wood (mahogany is much denser than basswood)
neck (super wizard necks are super skiny)
trem as oposite to string-through
Floating trems are worse for sustain than 7ender style trems
Less mass - basswood is much lighter than mahogany and the Jems have the monkey grip and extensive routing for the extra single coil and floating trem - so that makes the guitar even lighter.

All in all I would say that Les Paul is in a different legue to any of the Jems when it comes to sustain.
The only thing you can do is compress.

Short of blocking the trem, more springs is the only way to compensate for 0.11's

jsdetrait · #8 11-15-2002, 11:55 AM

Hello again EirikHH,
Now I could imagine what it coud be...... It happens to me once with my bfp... For whatever reason my trem was not sitting parallel to the surface of the body, the trem bottom of the lo pro edge was too high... And I lose a lot, a lot of sustain... I find for you the answer to your previous question and I'm sure it could help

:
http://jemsite.com/tech/t_1setup.htm#step1
I hope it will work... I've already tried it and it works (you can trust the guys from that site)... Don't be afraid to do it... I was, at first, but it's really easy and you can't damage your guitar...
See ya!

JS

PerpetualBurn · #9 11-15-2002, 01:42 PM

could also be that your strings are a tiny bit to close to the pickups, sometimes the magnetic field can actually interfere with sustained vibration of the strings...

Rob

GonWild · #10 11-15-2002, 01:42 PM

well,...when I think about it, my trem is not parallell to the body either. Just thought it could be because I use 0-95 strings.

but I'm new to these types of guitars. I will try adjusting it soon. thnx.
ps: did you have you intonate your gitar after you did so??

BeastofLove · #11 11-15-2002, 01:55 PM

Haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary with the sustain on my DBK... sustains comparably or better than other guitars of similar construction.
My RGT3120, however, can really surprise me though. The open low E and A strings seem to sustain forever... which isn't always a good thing if you're not conscious about muting them.

-Ben

GonWild · #12 11-18-2002, 09:25 AM

okey..I've tried adjusting the trem angle. so far so good, but this presented me with a new problem. The correct trem angle won't stay as I've adjusted it, WHEN I adjust the trem HIGHT. ( I have to adjust this on the E;A;D strings, cos they make a little buzz).
I'm also considering putting on a set of 0.10 strings. Will I have to put some more springs in to compensate for this??

dex · #13 11-18-2002, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EirikHH

I'm also considering putting on a set of 0.10 strings. Will I have to put some more springs in to compensate for this??

Not for 0.10s.
Just screw in the spring claw holder untill the trem levels.
For 0.11's you'll need a 4'th spring.

rvj · #14 11-18-2002, 12:38 PM

If your pick ups are too close to the strings, the magnets will affect the oscillation. This will result in a loss of sustain.
If you're new to floating trems, make sure you read the tech section on set-ups. Trem angle is extremely important, make sure that it is done correctly. This can also affect the string height. When adjusting the height, remember to loosen the set screws inside the posts. After getting the action where you want it, it may be necessary to re-intonate.
With floating trems, a good rule of thumb is for every action... there is a reaction.

jsdetrait · #15 11-18-2002, 12:47 PM

I agree with you rvj :
If your pick ups are too close to the strings this will result in a loss of sustain... And it's almost incredible the gain of sustain you have by doing that

...
... But be careful, too low is not good for another reason, so, EirikHH, read this now... : http://jemsite.com/tech/t_1setup.htm#step5
We keep in touch!!!

JS

sustain on 7dbk

jems, strings

Re: sustain on 7dbk

pickups.